BJP-NCP alliance? No way, says Shiv Sena

The Shiv Sena is confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi won’t join hands with a “Naturally Corrupt Party”.  Prasanna D Zore reports  

The Shiv Sena believes that a Bharatiya Janata Party government in Maharashtra with outside support from the Nationalist Congress Party is not tenable at all, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attacked the alleged rampant corruption of the latter.

“It’s not possible. Modiji in his campaign has attacked the NCP by calling it a Naturally Corrupt Party,” Shiv Sena’s senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut told Rediff.com over the telephone.

Complete coverage: Battle for Maharashtra

Senior leaders of the Shiv Sena including Sanjay Raut and former leader of opposition in Maharashtra legislative assembly Ramdas Kadam are holed up in Matoshree, party president Uddhav Thackeray’s residence in Mumbai’s Bandra east. Hectic consultations are on about the fallout of the results and NCP’s hasty decision to offer unconditional, outside support to the BJP.

But with the political equation in Maharashtra throwing a hung assembly, the state BJP is still hoping that it would be able to form the government on its own.

“The BJP plus its alliance partners are at 121 now and we are hopeful we will manage (on our own along with alliance partners),” BJP leader Shaina NC told Rediff.com.

When asked if the BJP would go ahead and stake claim to government formation, Shaina NC, said that the party’s parliamentary board meet on Sunday evening to discuss the political situation in the state.

She refused to comment on whether the BJP will take outside support from Sharad Pawar’s NCP.

The BJP parliamentary board meeting is likely to be held at 6 pm in Delhi and will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and national president Amit Shah, considered to be the chief architects of BJP’s strong showing in Maharashtra.

PTI adds: The Shiv Sena said it was not under pressure to join a BJP-led government in the state.

"There is absolutely no pressure," Raut said when asked if the party felt it was under pressure to join the government after the NCP announced lending outside support to the BJP.

 Raut said the party's future role will be known soon. "We had a meeting with Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and our future role will be known soon. Is it necessary for it to become clear today itself?" he asked.

Trying to make light of BJP's impressive performance, the Sena leader said, "We did not have power, the machinery they had at their command. The BJP's central ministers, chief ministers campaigned.”

"The Shiv Sena fought alone but fought well. We got a few seats less than the BJP but our numbers also went up," he said.

Image: File photo of NCP chief Sharad Pawar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photograph: narendramodi.in